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Category : Pacific Crest Trail

The Pacific Crest Trail is a 2,668 mile (4,294 km) trail running through the tallest mountain crests and volcanic peaks of California, Oregon, and Washington from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. I walked its entire length in 2013 and was back on trail for more casual fun in 2014 and 2015. In my opinion, it is a 16″ by 2,668 mile slice of heaven.

High Sierra glacial basin

Nature : Museum

Discussing my latest backpacking trip with my guy, I came up with an analogy which I like very much, and which seems original and enlightening. I compared modern wilderness visits with museum visits of the recent past (pre-2010). My first memories of museums were of the Anchorage Museum as a young teen, then the Louvre and Musée D’Orsay, and the Met in NYC and Mutter Museum in Philly as an older teen. Even if relatively brief, I treasure those visits for several reasons. Be they small or petty reasons it doesn’t matter, the memories are large as a very deep breath. Memories of carefully-curated open space and light, surprises of color and subtle hushed sounds. Photos were disallowed and so… continue reading

mount morrisson sierra nevada

Dear PCT Class of 2019

I’m getting ready to go on a hike of my own, but I wanted to drop you a note to let you know it’s still snowing in the High Sierra. My 2017 blog post “Dear PCT Class of 2017” with tips about snow travel and whatnot definitely, definitely applies, since we got more snow (* see footnotes) this year than we did overwinter 2016/2017. I spent the winter shoveling, plowing, skiing, and snowshoeing in the Sierra, and I’ll tell you what: nobody who knows anything about avalanches or snow conditions (in brief, they suck) is going back there behind the Crest right now. I hope you read my 2017 letter and do all the other research and preparation you can,… continue reading

2017 High Sierra Access Passes & Transportation

Currently it is unknown when the following roads will be open to cars. All access roads from Kennedy Meadows to Sonora Pass listed here, south to north from Kennedy Meadows. Check back as I will update this as I know more for 2017. Sherman Pass Road – Access from Kennedy Meadows to Highway 395 near Pearsonville, where the local transit can be caught M-W-F by calling ahead and requesting a stop. Usually open by late May, that might be different this year. Horseshoe Meadows Road – Access to Lone Pine, severely damaged by a rock slide. No known open date. No cars means a 15 mile walk at least until you have fair hitching opportunities, if walking is allowed through… continue reading

View of Yosemite Falls and Half Dome from the West

More PCT high snow tips

In my last feverish post, I totally missed some really good points about hiking in snow – really crucial stuff like navigation. A 2011 nobo thru-hiker made me aware right away (but doesn’t necessarily want to be credited). So without further ado here are more tips from someone who has gone through the difficult and uncomfortable, but very survivable process of trudging through the High Sierra in a high snow year: “GPS/phone = major time saver. THERE IS NO TRAIL. Forget the trail being avalanched away. It’s just not there” (until many people walk it first). Learn how to read a map and navigate by it (that is an invaluable link to a precious map-reading resource, BTW). “Carry a paper… continue reading

View of High Sierra March 28

Dear PCT class of 2017

2017 snow pack is the biggest whomper we have seen in 20 years. Forget about 2005 and 2011, we are entering new territory with just about as much (well, more) snow but more heat from our warming planet. Snow is not only STILL falling in the Sierra, but has begun to melt, with significantly high and early – dangerous – runoff.

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Hiking with my good old hiker trash pals Coincidence and Hot Tub in the Salmon Huckleberry Wilderness, near where we’ve been camped out the past couple days in the rain in our buses. We’re so lucky to have such a reprieve. Love is our best weapon. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

PCT angel helper Paint your Wagon

Paint Your Wagon

This guy. Hiker “Paint Your Wagon.” If you’ve been on the Pacific Crest Trail the past four years you’ve probably met him. I met him when we both worked Ziggy and the Bear’s in 2014. He’s always upbeat, a hard worker, and has a really hard time finding hiking shoes for his size 17 feet. He happened to be at VVR with his engine running when I got off a private Edison Lake boat shuttle (which I yogied a ride with on principle that I’m a web developer for the tour company that commissioned it) and I had a ride straight to Mono Hot Springs with a blistered hiker quitting said tour group. This magic is part of how I… continue reading

storm clouds over silver pass

Bad Weather

Yesterday after leaving my blissful private hot spring spot, I climbed 3300 feet into a hail storm, hid from thunder in a granite cave, and crossed Silver Pass (~11,000ft) in pouring rain and wind to my camp 17 miles later. Just to say, blissed out cool shit doesn’t always come easy.

Lionheart

Many of my IG followers know Lionheart, die hard hiker and gentle soul. What a treat to run into her in the Sierra and hike a little with her. I hope her foot cooperates and she finds her “carrot” (at the end of the proverbial stick) wherever she is headed, whether it be a trail end or some other fun life detour. xo I hope that for everyone! Focus less on the destination. You know, as our good ol’ pal Emerson said, “Life is a journey, not a destination…” (Yet again in photos from this week, that’s Mt Whitney in the background, right of center.)

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